Illusions xx XMen xx A Toad Story
by FredGeorgeWazlib
Summary: Magneto has a new plan, and for this one, he needs Leah, an eighteen-year-old girl who's been living on the streets, but she doesn't know who to turn to anymore. Toad ends up persuading her more than he even realizes. Toad X OC.
1. Enter Leah

**Author's Note:**** It's been a while since I've written anything, so forgive me if my style has gotten a bit awkward. I know it's short chapter, but if I didn't stop where I did, I assure you it would have been annoyingly long. This is about the X-Men movie, but I wanted to involve more characters, so Havok, Avalanche, and Blob will be making an appearance. Thanks for reading!**

_It had been more than a year since Leah had found herself in the bustling center of New York City, but she still couldn't forget any of it, not for a moment, no matter how much she wanted to. She didn't think she ever would, even if she lived to be as old as Mystique. But she hadn't known Mystique then--her opposite in every way, really. She hadn't ever known another mutant before the Brotherhood, which probably increased the effect that the noisy and overcrowded city streets had on her. Yes, Leah remembered all too well those long days with nothing to do but struggle to survive, even in the midst of all that activity that had made her so very nervous. Everything had kept her on the edge in those days--the traffic, the crowds, the raids. Especially the raids, though those mostly happened at night and rarely, thank goodness. Leah knew she was lucky to be blessed with a mutation that could not be discovered easily, if at all, but in those days, she hadn't noticed much of anything beyond her own self-pity and misery. Even after living on the streets for more than three years, she was the same spoiled kid she had always been._

**October 25, 2008**

Leah shielded her eyes at the afternoon sun as it came into view between two incredibly tall skyscrapers. Hugging the wall of the buildings beside her, she glanced at the people hurriedly pushing past her on the busy city streets. She hated walking the sidewalks during the worst hours of traffic, but she was in desperate need of money. She was constantly cursing her employer for working in an office on one of the busiest intersections of New York, but it was her only way of surviving. Leah could never keep a regular working job for very long. She never really even stayed in one place for very long. She took more than the usual amount of precautions to keep from being discovered as the mutant that she really was, but thankfully, there were always plenty of nooks in crannies in New York to hide a desperate eighteen-year-old.

Leah hadn't been walking the streets long before she spotted a newsstand up ahead. Ducking quickly around a group of important looking men in suits, Leah walked up to catch a glimpse of the front page of the _New York Times_. Leah always made sure to check the front of the paper before heading to the editor for her payment. He was the type of man who would ruin anyone's reputation for a quick buck, and she wasn't so sure that he wouldn't stoop to revealing her as a mutant once he was tired of the wild and attention-grabbing stories she made for him.

It didn't take long for Leah to discover that her work had, in fact, been a success. Before she even managed to take a look herself, she heard the two women beside her chattering about the cover story--an unidentified flying object being sighted over New York. Leah was proud of herself for cooking this one up because, really, no one would ever be able to prove that it was just an aircraft that strayed off of it's course or one of the military's newest developments. Nobody would ever find the so-called U.F.O., of course, and the truly gigantic thing had been caught on more than a few cameras across the state.

Leah gave a sigh of satisfaction. This illusion had been her best yet, because that's all the thing really was--an illusion. That was Leah's mutation. All she had to do was picture something in her head and the world around her would change almost instantly. She could even create sounds as well, but if Leah tried anything too complex, she found she developed a rather painful headache. It took a lot of concentration sometimes, but none of her illusions were ever really there. If someone had managed to touch her imagined spacecraft last night, their hands would have passed right through it. They would have felt nothing but thin air.

Leah turned from the newsstand abruptly, as if she were afraid someone might accuse her for creating the incriminating evidence on the front page. In her rush to get away from the images of her handiwork, she ran straight into someone headed the other direction. Leah fell straight onto the concrete, her hand getting scraped from sticking it out to break her fall. Pushing her long, brown hair out of her face, Leah peered up at the person she had ran into, who, strangely, didn't seemed to have budged in the least.

Leah just sat there and stared at the woman. She had such a startling look that Leah couldn't help herself. Besides, the woman seemed to be studying her just as intently. In fact, Leah was beginning to feel a bit paranoid. She stood up quickly, dusting herself off as two men walked by, staring at the woman across from her shamelessly. The woman was blonde and had the sort of look you really only see in magazines or on television. For some reason, this added to Leah's unease, and she started to push past her. The woman's hand shot out and clasped around Leah's upper arm, stopping her progress with a strong, firm grip. Leah turned in alarm, trying to pull free slightly, but the woman held fast without being too very obvious about it.

"You okay, hon?" she asked. The woman smiled at her, showing pearly white teeth. Leah didn't like it. The woman kept her eyes trained on her.

"I'm fine," Leah stated quietly, finally managing to pull away. Then, she quickly turned around and headed up the street as fast as she could without drawing anyone's attention. Leah shuddered slightly as she began to feel a sense of foreboding. Something wasn't right about that woman.

Leah turned around, staring back at the street behind her with a frown on her face.

The woman was watching her.

Leah felt the adrenaline rush through her before she whirled around and raced up the street. Fear always somehow managed to infect her, and now she could feel it inside her, clutching at her with its sharp, little claws. She didn't know why she should fear the woman, but for some reason, the image of her smiling down at her stuck permanently in her mind, and she was sure she should avoid the woman at all costs.

Leah didn't dare look back again, even to see if the woman was still standing there. That's why she didn't see the woman smirk, turn around, and disappear into a side alley. And she definitely didn't see the woman's pale skin shift into a dark blue just before it was hidden by the shadows cast by the building beside her.

#################################################

Magneto tore himself from his work when he heard the sound of footsteps in the hallway outside his door. He shuffled the papers on his desk around, pushing them off to the side before making the metal doors shoot open.

"Come in," he said, not bothering to look up from what he was doing. Without hesitation, the person entered the room, stepping fluidly up to the desk. Seeing the blue tone of Mystique's skin out of the corner of his eye, Magneto glanced up and nodded at her, showing her that he had her full attention.

Mystique looked at him for a while before smiling slowly, her golden eyes glinting.

"It's time," she said, an edge of excitement in her deep voice. Magneto returned her smile, standing up from his desk, ready to put his plan into action. Part one was to recruit the girl who'd been creating illusions all over New York to the Brotherhood. The possibilites for her powers were endless. It seemed that everyday he came up with new ways to put them to use and new questions to ask her. She would be a valuable asset to them.

"And you're sure it's her?" he asked, not wanting to get ahead of himself. Mystique responded with a nod before elaborating.

"Every time she comes up to a stoplight it changes color in her favor, and she has visited the _New York Times_ office every time something strange has appeared in the city."

Magneto nodded. Surely that was her. He had been fairly certain it was her before he set Mystique on her.

"Very well," he said,"I'll send Toad and Sabretooth out tonight. Where will she be?"

Mystique glanced up at the clock on the wall, looking thoughtful for a moment.

"She was on her way to the office when I saw her, and she usually spends more than an hour there. I'd say they'll be able to catch her on her way back, but she's been overly cautious since she got caught in that raid a few days ago. She'll be off the streets before dark. They'll have to make it fast."

"Thank you," Magneto said, looking at the clock as well,"And has she altered her appearance at all? They'll be able to tell who she is, won't they?"

"She's been hiding her face since the raid, but only to cover up her eye and lip. They would grab too much attention if she didn't. Those anti-mutant thugs hit her hard."

Magneto nodded absentmindedly, turning back to his desk so he could stare thoughtfully at one of the papers lying there. Mystique approached the desk, resting her hands on the wood. Magneto glanced up.

"My work's done, correct?" she asked, waiting for his answer, "Didn't you say you had something for me to do once this was over with?"

"Ah, yes," Magneto said quietly, turning back to his work," Bring Toad and Sabretooth here. Once they're on their way, I'll brief you on your next task."

He was silent for a moment before glancing up at the clock once more.

"Yes...all will be under way very soon. And it all starts with that girl."

**Disclaimer and/or Author's Note:**

**FredGeorgeWazlib: End! I had to stop somewhere so I had Magneto say something dramatic. When all else fails, leave it to Magneto. I'm beginning to think he's the only one who gets things done around here.**

**Magneto: **_**You**_** certainly don't. You haven't written for six months. I don't see how anyone puts up with you. You're so very lazy.**

**FredGeorgeWazlib: T-T I need to find someone who will say nice things to me.**

**Magneto: Getting to the point, this...girl...doesn't own any of the members of the X-Men or the Brotherhood. But she does own Leah, who, I must admit, is a rather brilliant addition to the story...for me, anyways. ***_**Reads story description**_*** And apparently for Toad, too.**

**FredGeorgeWazlib: See? I'm not totally useless.**

**Magneto: .........We'll see.**

**FredGeorgeWazlib: T-T I swear Toad will be in the next one. I bet you ALL thought he was the one she ran into, didn't you? Huh? Huh? You did, didn't you?**

**Magneto: Oh, dear God, make it stop.**


	2. Enter the Mutants

**Author's Note:**

**I apologize in advance for it being so long, but once I have a stopping point, I write all the way to the stopping point. I don't blame you if you try to skip ahead. Toad shows up in this one, so I'm sure you were all going to do that anyways, right?**

Leah slammed her fist on top of the desk, causing the unruly pile of papers resting on it to shift into further disarray.

"Look!" she muttered to the man in front of her, trying very hard to keep her voice at a sensible level,"You promised me five hundred! _Five hundred! _If you think for one moment that I am going to settle for anything less--"

"Five hundred's atrocious!" the editor barked, straightening up in his chair. He smashed the smoldering tip of his cigar into the ash tray on top of his desk and narrowed his eyes at the girl in front of him. It was like he was sizing her up, calculating whether he could get away with paying her less than her fair share.

For what seemed liked the hundreth time this month, Leah was trying to get her payment from her employer--all of it. It wasn't easy, either. Sometimes, she nearly gave in when the frustration just wasn't worth it. Leah would just as soon get her teeth pulled as go through the editor's haggling yet again.

Leah massaged her forehead, attempting to collect herself.

"Listen," she began quietly, leaning down to face him,"I need this money, and you know perfectly well that the price agreed on was five hundred..."

The editor squinted at her and folded his arms, but didn't interrupt to protest.

"You sold every single copy of today's paper and--"

"Who told you that?" he demanded, straightening up in his chair.

"Barbara."

The editor leaned over and pressed a button.

"Jenny!"

"Yes?"

"Tell Barbara she's fired!"

Swivelling around in his chair, he turned back to Leah with a frown. Before he could say anything, she interrupted.

"So," she said, looking him square in the eye,"now that you don't have to pay her salary anymore, you can give me the full five hundred, right?"

Almost instantly the editor pressed the button again.

"Jenny!"

"Yes?"

"Tell Barbara she's unfired."

Leah rolled her eyes and plopped down in the wooden chair behind her. It was amazing how much energy it took to deal with a man like the editor. She shoved her hands in her pockets, blowing a strand of hair out of her face in exasperation.

The editor looked at her for a long time. Leah could practically see the gears in his mind turning. Sighing, he scribbled something down on a piece of paper and tossed it at her. Leah caught it triumphantly, instantly perking up.

"Take it and get out," he said bluntly, turning back to his papers.

Leah leaped out of her chair and ducked out of the office, smiling wordlessly.

"And you'd better not make this a habit!" he shouted after her. His office door slammed shut behind her, and Leah let out a sigh of relief.

After making her way through the crowded outer room full of ringing telephones, desks, papers, and computers, Leah passed the slip of paper on to Barbara, who swiftly exchanged it for a check. Leah pocketed it, sharing a small smile with her before quickly making her way out of the building, anxious to be off of the streets before it got dark.

Leah frowned as she stepped out onto the pavement, feeling the cool night air on her upturned face. It was later than she would have liked. The street lights were already on, shedding light in some areas, but casting shadows in others.

She shivered, whether from her thoughts or the weather, she wasn't sure. And was it just her imagination or did the alley behind her look an awful lot like the one where she had been caught by the anti-mutant mobsters?

Shaking her head, Leah set off at a brisk pace down the deserted streets, hugging the wall and keeping her head down. She had grown used to staring at her feet as she walked, but now that it was such a dangerous hour, her eyes darted up every once in a while to see if anyone was coming.

Leah swallowed when she felt her own heart racing. She scolded herself for getting worked up, but that's the sort of person that she was. She internalized things, worrying over them until they seemed worse than they actually were. Most of the time, her fretting came to nothing, but sometimes--_sometimes_--it ended up saving her.

Eventually, her desperate need to get home overcame her fear of the back alleys, and she began to take some shortcuts through them. She didn't run into anyone, and she believed it was most likely because of the time. Everyone had either gone home or settled down in a bar or club by now, and it was too early for anyone to have had their fill of drinks yet. At that moment, Leah was incredibly grateful for it, but soon, she would come to regret that the streets had been so empty.

Soon she found herself at a dead end, but couldn't recall taking a wrong turn. She wasn't sure what her mistake was, so she reluctantly turned back to the main street. Sighing, she stepped up to an intersection and waited impatiently for the stoplights to turn so she could use the crosswalk. Leah shoved her hands into her pockets and glanced left and right at the cars backed up along the street. It would take forever for the light to turn...

Swallowing, Leah looked all around her, worried that someone might be watching. Once she was satisfied, she turned her gaze to the set of stoplights dangling above the intersection in front of her. They turned from green to yellow to red, and from red to green, and as the last few reckless drivers turned around the corner after beating the red light, Leah stepped out into the crosswalk.

She was halfway across the street when it happened. Leah had glanced up at the stoplights for some reason or other. Later, after it was over, she couldn't say exactly why she had, but she had, and when she did, she saw them turn from red to green while she was still in the middle of the street.

In any other city in the United States, of course, this wouldn't have been a problem, but taxi drivers in New York didn't care if there was a girl in the middle of the street. If the light was green, they were going to go.

A car lurched forward, causing Leah to scream and jump back, though it came to a screeching halt before it had gotten anywhere near her. Out of frustration more than anything, Leah rushed forward and kicked the car's fender.

"There's someone walking here!" she shouted, her voice shaking slightly. Anyone seeing a car come at them would be a bit shaken afterward, but the thing that disturbed her more was that the light had turned on her. More and more lately, her powers had been failing her. No, worse than failing her, they had been betraying her--serving her up on a silver platter.

The other night when she had been beaten by those anti-mutant supporters, it was her powers that had given her away, but worst of all were the times when they took the shape of her mother and father. When she thought about them too much, dwelling on what had gone wrong--what had happened to cause them to fall apart--she would often find them standing right there in front of her, making her feel as small as they had back then. She knew they were illusions, though...even if they felt real sometimes.

Leah was relieved when she finally caught sight of her temporary home at the end of the street. It was a tall, brick building with a long, flat roof, which was, of course, where Leah slept. She'd have to climb up the fire escape before she could sleep, though. If she used the stairs, the owner would be sure to make her leave. Leah sighed. Climbing up the fire escape was taxing, and she had already had a rather trying day.

But she was home. She hadn't been hit by a car or abducted by any anti-mutant enthusiasts so, really, the day had turned out rather well.

And just as Leah let a tired smile spread across her face, a hand shot out of the alleyway next to her and grabbed her, pulling her into its shadows.

It all happened so fast...Leah could hardly recall any details later. She couldn't even remember if she put up a fight or not, tired as she was. But she did remember Sabertooth's hands clamped around her, though she didn't know he was Sabertooth then. She would never forget the way his hands felt on her--bruising and rough. She still shuddered when she thought about it sometimes.

"Do you have her?" a voice asked. It was coming from further back in the alley and had a strong British accent.

Leah heard the man holding on to her grunt in response as he pulled her deeper into the alley. In the darkness, she could just make out the silhouette of a van parked in the very back.

She heard the door open and shut as the British one climbed into the front seat, and that was when Leah began to fight back.

The man holding her dragged her towards the van and started to push her into the back seat. Placing her hands on either side of the van door, Leah pushed back, her shoes scuffing against the vehicle as they searched for footing. The man seemed to pause for a moment, as if he couldn't quite figure out why she wasn't fitting.

Leah gasped as he shoved her in, her arms giving way as if they were twigs. Bewildered, her hair in her face, she pushed herself up and looked around uneasily. She knew she wasn't _that_ weak. How was he so strong?

Before she could do much of anything in the way of escaping, the man slammed the door and got in on the other. Leah tried to move as far away as possible, but the man grabbed her upper arm roughly, keeping a firm grip on it. She didn't struggle. She was smart enough to know it wouldn't get her anywhere.

All was quiet in the vehicle for the longest time. Leah looked pointedly out the window, feeling that the guy next to her was the type to beat someone up just for looking at him. The other one looked straight ahead, never once taking his eyes of the road as he drove, which made her feel a little better. She didn't like cars.

They drove on in silence for more than an hour. Leah knew this for sure because she glanced at the clock every so often, and they had already made it out of the city.

"What happened to your face?"

Leah jumped, startled by the sudden question. She hadn't been paying attention, though she knew it was the man holding her that had asked it. Leah caught the one in the front seat looking at her through the rear-view mirror, as if curious about the answer himself. When she returned his gaze, he looked away abruptly, suddenly interested in the road again. Leah looked at the spot where his face had been with a startled expression on her face. Was it just her or had his eyes looked a bit strange...?

"Hey! You!" the man growled, pulling her closer by her elbow,"I _said _' What happened to your face?'"

"I don't know! What happened to yours?!" Leah tried to push the man's hand away. His grip was so tight it hurt. She didn't know was he was talking about, anyways. _What happened to my face?_

Leah peered into the rear-view mirror and breathed in sharply. Her illusion was gone, and the marks left on her from the anti-mutants were back. Slowly, she lifted a shaking hand and gingerly prodded her black eye, but before she could do much else, the man reacted to her insult.

Leah gasped as he yanked her arm in to make her face him. He tugged her forward so fast that her breath caught in her throat. She yelped when he tightened his grip, his fingernails digging mercilessly into her skin.

"Sabertooth, leave her alone," the one up front said, sounding tired. He frowned, but didn't take his eyes off the road.

"Well, how do we know this is the right one?" Sabertooth demanded, ignoring Leah's attempts to get away from him,"Mystique said she wouldn't have all of this."

He gestured toward her face, making Leah flinch. The man in the front looked at her for a long time in the mirror, though she didn't take notice this time.

"No,"he said at last,"This is the right one. I'm sure of it."

Leah had stopped struggling and was listening to the conversation quietly. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up and her breathing began to grow shallow. She was afraid. They had to know. She knew by the way they were talking that they were aware of her being a mutant. She had to escape. There was no telling what they'd do to her.

She was aware of the man in front looking at her again. She fixed her brown eyes back at him. She was getting out of here.

The man quickly looked away from her when he saw the glare on her face. _Why all of a sudden...?_

Suddenly, he cursed, causing Sabertooth to look up. There was a car speeding towards them on the wrong side of the road, and it didn't look as if it were going to stop. The man swerved, his panic causing him to run the car straight into a tree, and as he did, the car that had seemed bent on killing them disappeared into thin air.

Now was her chance. Sabertooth had let go of her, and the man up front was still trying to process what was going on. It was perfect. Leah immediately jumped over to the door and flung it open, stepping out so fast that she nearly fell. She caught herself against the car and started to run.

She had picked the perfect time to escape. They were miles away from the city and on a tree-lined road that was mostly deserted at this time of night. It was dark, and if she could only make it through a few of those trees, they wouldn't find her again.

But to her dismay, the man up front recovered from the crash shockingly fast, and noticed what she was doing almost immediately. He jumped out of the car and raced after her. He was alarmingly fast, and Leah frantically raced on, feeling as if she had already lost. Reaching around her, the man grabbed her by her arms and held her against him, trying to restrain her. His arms were around her, pressing her back to him as she struggled viciously.

"Hey!" he murmured softly, holding her more firmly as she tried to elbow him,"Hey! Hey! Take it easy!"

Leah stopped struggling and stood there limply, feeling defeated.

"Just calm down," he said quietly,"Okay? No one's going to hurt you, I promise."

She tried to rip free again, but he held her fast.

"Hey! I promise! All right? Now listen," he murmured more firmly,"Listen to me. I'm going to put you in the front, okay? Sabertooth will stay in the back. He won't bother you anymore. I'll make sure he doesn't. Now does that sound all right?"

Leah nodded wordlessly, gazing at the ground in front of her, but as the man started to loosen his grip, she whirled around, trying to yank her hands out of his. The man held fast to her, gripping her wrists firmly as she struggled. Now, she was facing him. She looked up, her face set into a frown of concentration and effort, but once she saw his face, she stopped dead in her tracks. Her eyes registered surprised as she looked into his face.

He was a mutant.

They were both mutants.

**Author's Note/Disclaimer:**

**FredGeorgeWazlib: Wow! You guys made it to the end! Now that's what I call effort!**

**Magneto: *coughs expectantly***

**FredGeorgeWazlib: *sigh* Not that I would know anything about that...as Magneto constantly reminds me. T-T I mean, c'mon, Magneto, just look at this huge chapter I managed to come up with!**

**Magneto: It took you six days.**

**FredGeorgeWazlib: You counted?! That's not fair!**

**Magneto: How?**

**FredGeorgeWazlib: ...**

**Magneto: ...**

**FredGeorgeWazlib: I do not own Toad, Sabertooth, Magneto, the X-Men, the Brotherhood, or Spiderman, who I was actually going to include in this story but than decided against it.**

**Magneto: You didn't answer my question.**

**FredGeorgeWazlib: So, who else can name all seven of the dwarves? Hm?**

**Magneto: Never mind.**


	3. Sabertooth

**Author's Note:**** Hello, everyone! I know I haven't updated in a while. Let me just say now that things are going to be a little hectic for the next two weeks. Our musical is practically here and we are having practices every night from 6:30 to 10:00. I'll try to update, but it may take a while. Thanks for reading and thank you to those who reviewed! And to the one who named all seven of the dwarves, I'm impressed!**

**Oh, and I felt kind of silly, repeating 'street rat' twice, but it will hold some importance later on. **

"You think it'll run?" Sabertooth asked, sticking his head out of the van door.

Leah sat in the front seat, watching the other man inspect the front of the van through the windshield. He was a mutant, something she had only just figured out, and she supposed that Sabertooth had to be one, too, considering how freakishly strong he was. But with the other man, it was much more obvious.

First of all, he was green. That gave him away right off the bat. Leah wasn't quite sure what kind of a power would call for green skin, but she wasn't going to ask. He probably wasn't as touchy as Sabertooth, but she didn't want to find out.

"As far as I know," the green man replied, banging his fist on the hood when he couldn't get it open. Leah scooted away from the door, tucking her knees under her chin. She could tell Sabertooth was getting irritated.

"Well, than let's go!" Sabertooth demanded impatiently,"Dammit, Toad! At this rate, it's going to take us all night to get her there!"

_Toad? _Leah looked at him, as if matching the name with his face. He gave the car a final kick and started back toward them.

"Are _you _the one driving?" Toad snapped, getting in the front seat next to Leah. Sabertooth ignored him and sat down, muttering under his breath. He rested his foot on the back of Leah's chair and leaned back in his seat. She had a feeling he did it just to remind her that he was there.

They drove for what seemed like an eternity. The roads kept getting smaller and smaller, taking Leah further and further away from New York. She was beginning to feel car sick, too, and Sabertooth kept kneeing the back of her seat, adding to her misery. Toad noticed after a while and told him to knock it off.

"If she tries to kill us again, I blame you," he said, keeping his eyes locked on the road, as if he expected another car to come racing out of the darkness.

Not too much longer after that, they pulled up to a large metal facility. That's what Leah called it, anyways, for want of a better word. Everytime someone called it a 'secret base', she couldn't help but smile.

Toad slowly followed a stretch of black asphalt into a rather messy garage and started to park the van in it. Leah straightened up and leaned towards the window, curious as to what she'd see. It was a big room. Obviously, it had to be if it was meant to hold cars. And there were tools strewn all over the place, too. It reminded Leah of the place where her dad used to get their cars fixed. She used to hate it when he dragged her along with him. Sitting and waiting in those black plastic chairs with nothing more than a few issues of _Better Homes and Gardens _ was the worst kind of torture for her when she was eight.

Leah craned her neck to peer out of the windshield, feeling a bit nervous. There was a lot of clutter up front that just looked like it was asking to be hit by the van. But, then again, running into a bunch of junk could hardly be as bad as hitting a tree. That little incident had been the most terrifying moment of Leah's life, and had convinced her even more that cars were nothing more than metal death traps.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Toad get out of the car, carefully stepping over a bucket that was lying on its side. He stretched, and Leah's gaze followed him intently. His green skin was much more obvious in the light of the garage, and it wasn't as dark as it had first appeared in the woods, either. She was fascinated by it, though she couldn't say exactly why. It was pretty, really, once she looked at it for a while, but her interest probably came from the abnormality of it.

Eventually, watching Toad reminded Leah of the stiffness in her own legs. He didn't seem like he'd care too much if she got out of the van. Besides, he was already checking the hood as if he had completely forgotten that he was abducting her. So, after a quick glance in his direction, Leah turned to open her door.

And found herself looking straight into Sabertooth's face.

He was on the other side of the window, grinning in a way that Leah didn't like one bit. Like a sadistic little boy who had just gotten a toy that he could easily pop the head off of.

Leah shoved herself over the glove compartment as Sabertooth opened the door forcefully. His expression couldn't be taken as anything but menacing. She wasn't about to put on a brave face and pretend she wasn't scared of the man barreling towards her. She was terrified. Her head bumped the ceiling as she tried frantically to get out of his reach. And maybe she was overreacting a bit, but she wasn't going to just sit there and make it easy for him.

He kept trying to get a hold of her, but, thankfully, things weren't working out too well for him. Leah's elbow hit the horn on the steering wheel more than once as she struggled and fought off his grasp again and again. And through her fear, she felt herself getting angry. _What was his problem? Why did everyone seem to have a problem with her lately? _

Then, suddenly, her foot collided with his nose. There was a sickening crunch that made Leah feel queasy. It wasn't like she had done it on purpose or anything, and she didn't get any pleasure out of it, either. She had only been trying to get away from him. Leah's stomach tightened with fear. _He's going to be mad._

On the plus side, Sabertooth almost instantly stopped trying to grab her. Stunned by the sudden turn of events, Leah just sat there, wondering what was going to happen, when someone hooked their arms under her elbows, dragging her out of the van and away from Sabertooth. Leah turned her head and saw that it was Toad. She clung to his jacket, trying to regain her balance and get her feet back under her. But before she could get much done in the way of standing on her own, Sabertooth came stumbling around the front of the van, his hands clamped over his nose.

He wasmad. No, he was murderous. Leah paled and backed away...well, awkwardly hopped backwards while mostly leaning on Toad would be a better way to describe it. She still hadn't gotten herself back in working order yet.

Leah could see blood coming out of Sabertooth's nose as he came towards them. It was dripping onto the floor.

"Why, you little..."

Toad pushed Leah behind him and spread his arms out in front of her.

"Sabertooth..." he warned, stretching his hand out to him uneasily.

Sabertooth took a violent step forward, making to get around him. Leah flinched, and Toad moved in front of him, shielding her.

"That little..._street rat_..." he spat, his face etched with fury,"just broke my _nose_!"

He moved forward again and tried to knock Toad aside, but he shoved him back...or, rather, flung himself at him and bounced off.

"Only because you tried to scare the hell out of her!" he shot back defensively, stepping forward as if to ward him off.

"I'll wring her scrawny neck!"

"Sabertooth, I'm warning you!"

"Get out of my way!"

"No!" shouted Toad, "Magneto told us not to do anything to--"

"I don't care!"

"She is _not_ our enemy!"

Realizing that Toad wasn't going to back down, Sabertooth turned around and kicked the van in frustration. His foot collided with the door with a sound that could have easily been caused by sledge hammer. Leah was painfully aware of the large dent he had made which had probably been meant for her head and not the undeserving van door.

Sabertooth violently turned back to face them and looked at Leah with a terrifying expression. She stepped further behind Toad, disliking Sabertooth with every inch of her being. She hated it when someone was stronger than her and used it to push her around. It just wasn't _fair._ It wasn't fair being at the mercy of someone else when there was nothing she could do.

"You just wait, street rat,"Sabertooth threatened, his fists quivering,"You can't hide behind him forever, whether you join us or not. And when that day comes..."

Sabertooth never did finish that sentence. But it's not like he needed to. Leah understood perfectly. She also understood that she hated him, and she had only been in his presence for a few hours. Leah might not have been the kind of girl to make friends easily, but it was rare for her to hate someone this quickly...or this much. And what did he mean _join _them?

"You finished yet?" Toad snapped at him, taking Leah by the arm. She gave a start, and he lowered his head down to her level.

"Stay to my right,"he murmured softly. Wordlessly, he pushed past Sabertooth, pulling Leah along with him.

"Where are you going?" demanded Sabertooth, muddled with frustration.

"Where else? To Magneto, you big lughead," Toad called back over his shoulder,"That's what she's here for, remember? Or have you got it in your head that she's your latest chew toy?" Then he passed through the doorway before Sabertooth could respond and disappeared with Leah into the adjoining hallway.

After a while the man caught up with them, though. He pulled up on Toad's left side, flexing his fingers as if he already had them around Leah's neck. The brown-haired girl had a sneaking suspicion that the van now had more than a few dents in it. She shuddered involuntarily. Nothing about any of this was in the least bit inviting. Leah glanced over at the green man who was holding her arm, his eyes following Sabertooth wearily.

Well...almost nothing.

Leah wondered why Toad was being so kind to her, but she supposed anyone would seem nice next to Sabertooth. But even if that were true, she still felt grateful. That's why she didn't put up a fight as he silently tugged her down the long, metal hallways. All she did was trot along next to him, wondering who Magneto was, and why he had sent the two of them to kidnap her.

**Disclaimer/Author's Note:**

**FredGeorgeWazlib: Hello! Sorry this was one was short--**

**Magneto: Yet again. *rolls eyes***

**FredGeorgeWazlib: BUT! I felt this was a good place to stop, and I wanted to give you guys something to read after waiting so long. I only think of you people.**

**Magneto: That and you've been spending all of your time reading, neglecting these poor, good people...**

**FredGeorgeWazlib: Okay, now you're just trying to make me look bad. Besides, **_**you've**_** been trying to take charge of the human race!**

**Magneto: So? I've never written a fanfiction, so no one's waiting on **_**me **_**to update.**

**FredGeorgeWazlib: They wouldn't even if you **_**did**_** write one.**

**Magneto: Oh yes? *pulls out typewriter* What shall I write? I'll prove you wrong.**

**FredGeorgeWazlib: Oo! Since I'm writing about one of your guys, you can write one about me! Me and Nightcrawler! And he can save me from a burning building and... **

**Magneto: *stares***

**FredGeorgeWazlib: What? I just thought I'd mention it! It doesn't hurt to try, you know.**

**Magneto: It's a wonder you managed to come up with Leah. Thank God the X-Men, Brotherhood, and I don't belong to you.**

**FredGeorgeWazlib: And there's your disclaimer, ladies and gentlemen! Seeya next time!**


	4. Magneto

**Author's Note: (MAJORLY IMPORTANT THAT YOU READ!!!) I am so terribly mortified for letting this story go for so long! Ah! I'm **_**so**_** sorry! But, worry not. Though I have been incredibly lazy when it comes to working on this part, I have given a lot of thought to what happens later on, so that will be all the more awesome! And now I think it's time for some clarification on Leah's powers, since I have been getting a lot of questions about them. She creates illusions with her mind. They are just pictures or images. They aren't really there. It's just an optical illusion, like a mirage. She can make sounds, too. If you have ever read Charlie Bone, it's kind of like Olivia's power.**

It wasn't long before the forlorn little group shuffled into Magneto's office, causing him to look up from his papers. He could almost feel the tension in the air as they made their way into the room. Looking from one to the other, he guessed that things had not gone quite as well as they should have.

Leah's eyes darted around the room, focusing on anything but the people around her. Her long, brown hair hung around her face, keeping it partially hidden from Magneto's observation. She stood to Toad's immediate right and shifted with him every time he moved, making sure to keep out of Sabertooth's line of sight. Magneto was unhappy when he noted the black eye on her face and her swollen lip.

Toad was looking a bit tired as he stood stiffly between Leah and Sabertooth, and though he was waiting expectantly for Magneto's orders, he kept glancing at Sabertooth out of the corner of his eye. Magneto followed his gaze and saw the mess that was now Sabertooth's face. The corners of his lips twitched as if he were going to smile. He wondered whether it was Leah or Toad who had done the damage there.

Magneto turned to Toad, putting whatever work he was doing on hold.

"Those aren't new, I hope," he remarked, gesturing to Leah's face. He waited for Toad to give him an answer with a frown on his face. He had given them strict orders not to harm Leah and expected better of Toad, if not Sabertooth.

"No, they aren't," Toad said quickly, sensing the disapproval in Magneto's voice. Stepping forward, he nodded in Sabertooth's direction. "His are, though."

Sabertooth growled, looking as if he were about to launch himself at both him and Leah. Magneto glanced at him sharply before turning to the girl for the first time.

Sensing his gaze, Leah looked up. She looked him full in the face unashamedly, her brown eyes stern and accusing, causing Magneto to wonder how best to make his offer to her. After a rather long pause, he sat down.

"Forgive me, Leah, for the rather forward invitation, but...I wished to keep certain people uninvolved."

Leah stood quietly for a moment, a frown on her face.

"...So you went with abduction?"

The corners of Magneto's mouth twitched as if he were going to smile again. It was in that instant that the leader of the Brotherhood knew that this girl wasn't going to just be another one of his lackeys. He could see the cogs of her mind turning as she stood there before him, her eyes swiftly darting around the room. This girl had a mind...principles. Though he and Mystique had come to the conclusion that the girl had probably not finished school, she was obviously quick...if not a bit sarcastic.

"Allow me to explain," he continued, shifting slightly, "It was not the police I didn't want involved. They could hardly have stopped me in any case."

Leah frowned and began to feel ill at ease. _Could hardly have stopped him...? _She was obviously dealing with something much larger than what she had expected. But before she could think through the matter any further, Magneto interrupted her thoughts.

"And besides...," he said quietly,"the police aren't going to be much concerned with a homeless eighteen-year-old."

Leah bristled at the comment, and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. She didn't like that these people knew so much about her. She flexed her fingers in agitation, feeling like she usually did just before her powers were about to stray from her control. Because she wasn't in control here. She had no idea who these people were, and she certainly had no idea how to deal with them.

"Who are you?" she demanded, her voice trembling slightly.

Magneto instantly eased up when he heard the panic in the girl's voice.

"Easy, Leah..." he cautioned gently. He raised a hand to calm her, but the girl didn't relax. Her stern, mistrustful gaze remained on his face, and he realized that nothing but the truth would do for this one. Sighing, he stood up.

"I am Magneto, the leader of the Brotherhood of Mutants..." he said. He kept his calm eyes fixed on her, measuring her reaction.

Cautiously, Leah relaxed a bit, her arms held awkwardly at her sides.

"You're...a mutant?" she asked quietly.

That was when Magneto knew--knew with absolute certainty--that Leah would come to join ranks with him someday. It was the uncertainty in her voice--the subdued and tentative way she asked him. She hadn't trusted humans for a long time.

She hadn't trusted _anyone _for a long time.

But just the fact that it was showing in her voice told him that she was tired of hiding from the world. She didn't want to be afraid forever. And she _was_ afraid..._deeply_ afraid.

"Yes, Leah, I am a mutant," he replied softly,"...just like you."

"What do you do?" she whispered, stepping closer to his desk tentatively.

Magneto smiled. She was curious.

Slowly, he raised his arms up, and the room began to shake. Almost instantly, screeches came from the walls as metal scratched on metal. The lights hanging from the ceiling swung back and forth, and the metal desk in front of Magneto slid across the room.

Startled, Leah stumbled backwards. Toad placed a restraining hand gently on her back. He remembered the first time he had seen Magneto's powers as a boy. He had been completely awed by them. A power like his completely overshadowed an awkward, homeless, green little boy who was mutated like a toad.

"I control magnetic fields," Magneto explained once the shaking had stopped. Walking around the side of his now misplaced desk, he stopped in front of Leah and regarded her calmly. She was looking around at the altered room in amazement.

"Now, Leah, if you don't mind," he prodded carefully,"I would very much like to see _your_ mutant abilities."

Leah's eyes dropped to the floor. She felt surprisingly shy at this request, but also a bit pleased. No one had ever taken such an interest in her powers before. And though no one would have guessed it, Leah _was_ rather proud of her abilities. She loved her powers, even if they estranged her from the people around her or even her family. She loved them even if they betrayed her sometimes. She loved them even though they were the reason that she had lost so much.

Slowly, Leah stepped forward, and Toad's eyes followed her curiously. He remembered only too well the incident from earlier, and was interested in spite of himself. It was obvious that Magneto was, too. Toad felt a sharp pang of jealousy, as he usually did when someone new was being brought to the Brotherhood. It soon passed, though, as it always did. He had grown used to being the lowest member of the group, as he would be still, even after this girl joined them.

But Toad didn't have much time to dwell on these thoughts before he was startled awake by the torrent of images that flashed before his and his other teammates' eyes. They came in a flash, like a lightning bolt, and they moved just as fast. They changed so swiftly from one to the other, that Toad could hardly register what he was seeing, but afterwards they were burned into his mind like subliminal messages. And all Leah did was stand there in the middle of them, staring fixedly at nothing in particular.

First there was a tree on fire. Then a crowd of people, each with a different appearance, followed by a simple, bouncy ball that made a noise like thunder each time it hit the floor. Only a whirl of colors came next, and then nothing. All went dark for a split second. Then everything was back and there was an eerie silence, which was broken abruptly by the loud roar of the T-Rex standing in the middle of the room.

But last of all was a single image of Leah who appeared so quietly beside the real one that Toad hardly even noticed her there. It was just like Leah to do that. She was never one for dramatic entrances.

And at the head of all of this stood Magneto, silently taking everything in. It didn't take Toad to see that he was completely and utterly fascinated with Leah's powers. Captivated, even. The image of Leah slowly stepped towards the head of the Brotherhood, making hardly any noise as she went. Magneto watched with unblinking eyes as the copy stopped in front of him. Slowly, he raised his hand, reaching with eager, outstretched fingers at the unreal girl in front of him, and when he managed to get close enough, his hand passed right through her.

She wasn't real.

And yet...she looked _so_ real...

The image stood there so naturally and at ease...even more so than the _real _Leah. She even blinked. Never would Magneto have guessed that this image was anything other than a living, breathing person.

"Fascinating," he breathed.

The fake Leah disappeared in a whisp of smoke at the sound of his voice, and he started suddenly, as if his mind had been carried far away by the possibilities of that single illusion. He quickly collected himself, eager and ready to get this business settled. He turned his attention back to the real Leah.

"Now, my dear....I have a proposition for you."

Leah returned his gaze with a quiet intensity.

"I'm listening."

**Disclaimer/Author's Note:**

**FredGeorgeWazlib: Okay. I'm going to get this over with quickly so Magneto doesn't have a chance to make fun of me. I do not own any of the X-Men or the Brotherhood T-T. But I had a totally awesome dream with Avalanche in it, so I'm satisfied, I suppose. Also--**

**Magneto: Aha! There you are!**

**FredGeorgeWazlib: Rats.**

**Magneto: Have I belittled you lately? I can't quite remember, because it's BEEN SO LONG since you UPDATED!**

**FredGeorgeWazlib: T-T Don't you have something better to do?**

**Magneto: Not since I lost my powers. Besides, someone needs to keep you going, you slacker. Get typing!**

**FredGeorgeWazlib: You seriously need a hobby. Thank you for reading, everyone! Good bye!**


End file.
